Immunomodulatory effect of gatifloxacin on mouse peritoneal macrophages in vitro and in models of endotoxin-induced rat conjunctivitis and rabbit bacterial keratitis

Recent Advances on the Function and Purification of Milk Exosomes: A Review

Exosomes are nano-scale extracellular vesicles, which can be used as drug carriers, tumor treatment, intestinal development and immune regulator. That is why it has great potential in pharmacy, functional foods, nutritional supplements, especially those for infants, postoperative patients, chemotherapy patients and the elderly. In addition, abnormal exosome level is also related to diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, tumor, diabetes, neurodegenerative and autoimmune diseases, as well as infectious diseases. Despite its high biological significance, pharmaceutical and nutritional value, the low abundancy of exosomes in milk is one of the bottlenecks restricting its in-depth research and real-life application. At present, there is no unified standard for the extraction of breast milk exosomes. Therefore, choosing the proper extraction method is very critical for its subsequent research and development. Based on this, this paper reviewed the purification techniques, the function and the possible applications of milk exosomes based on 47 latest references. Humble advices on future directions, prospects on new ideas and methods which are useful for the study of exosomes are proposed at the end of the paper as well.

Two bacterial infection models in tree shrew for evaluating the efficacy of antimicrobial agents

Animal models are essential for the development of new anti-infectious drugs. Although some bacterial infection models have been established in rodents, small primate models are rare. Here, we report on two bacterial infection models established in tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis). A burnt skin infection model was induced by dropping 5×10(6) CFU of Staphylococcus aureus on the surface of a wound after a third degree burn. This dose of S. aureus caused persistent infection for 7 days and obvious inflammatory response was observed 4 days after inoculation. A Dacron graft infection model, 2×10(6) CFU of Pseudomonas aeruginosa also caused persistent infection for 6 days, with large amounts of pus observed 3 days after inoculation. These models were used to evaluate the efficacy of levofloxacin (LEV) and cefoperazone (CPZ), which reduced the viable bacteria in skin to 4log10 and 5log10 CFU/100 mg tissue, respectively. The number of bacteria in graft was significantly reduced by 4log10 CFU/mL treatment compared to the untreated group (P<0.05). These results suggest that two bacterial infection models were successfully established in tree shrew using P. aeruginosa and S. aureus. In addition, tree shrew was susceptible to P. aeruginosa and S. aureus, thus making it an ideal bacterial infection animal model for the evaluation of new antimicrobials.

Animal models of bacterial keratitis

Bacterial keratitis is a disease of the cornea characterized by pain, redness, inflammation, and opacity. Common causes of this disease are Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Animal models of keratitis have been used to elucidate both the bacterial factors and the host inflammatory response involved in the disease. Reviewed herein are animal models of bacterial keratitis and some of the key findings in the last several decades.

Prophylactic efficacy of ophthalmic quinolones in experimental endophthalmitis in rabbits

PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of 0.3% gatifloxacin ophthalmic solution in preventing bacterial endophthalmitis in rabbits.

METHODS

Eighty-four (84) albino phakic rabbits were injected unilaterally with 2 x 10(4) colony forming units of Enterococcus faecalis into the anterior chamber. The eyes received 0.3% ofloxacin ophthalmic ointment or 0.3% gatifloxacin ophthalmic solution with different regimens in three separate experiments: (1) 1 or 3 drops of gatifloxacin every 2 h or a single application of ofloxacin for 1 day; (2) 3 drops/day of gatifloxacin application started at 0, 6, and 24 h postinoculation, or 1 drop at 0 h, and 3 times daily gatifloxacin for the following 3 days; and (3) 1 or 3 drops of gatifloxacin application started at 0 h and no further application for the following 3 days. The control eyes received no treatment in the three experiments. The effectiveness of these different regimens was assessed by slit-lamp biomicroscopy and bacterial colony counts. The ocular penetration of the drugs was determined in a separate experiment, using 36 normal albino rabbits.

RESULTS

The concentration-time curves for gatifloxacin and ofloxacin appeared parallel, with mean peak concentrations of 1161 and 219 ng/mL, respectively, at 1 h postinstillation. In Experiment 1, gatifloxacin significantly reduced the inflammation and the number of living bacteria in the aqueous humor, compared with controls, whereas ofloxacin ointment did not. A single application of ofloxacin ointment was not better than 1 drop of gatifloxacin. The results of Experiment 2 showed that the effectiveness of gatifloxacin decreased as the interval between the inoculation and the onset of treatment increased. In Experiment 3, only 3 drops of gatifloxacin on day 1 kept the inflammation significantly lower than that in the control for 4 days.

CONCLUSIONS

Immediate postoperative prophylaxis would likely be effective in reducing the risk of enterococcal endophthalmitis by topical gatifloxacin.